The name Calycanthus chinensis was not validly published by W. C. Cheng and S. Y. Chang (Sci. Silvae Sin. 8(1). 1963) because they cited both a flowering and a fruiting type representing two gatherings (Vienna Code, Art. 37.2). When the same authors republished the species in Sinocalycanthus, they cited a single type, thus validly publishing a new species name in Sinocalycanthus rather than transferring it from Calycanthus to Sinocalycanthus. Subsequent Chinese authors used the name S. chinensis until P. T. Li published the species as C. chinensis in FRPS, thus transferring the species back to the genus in which it was originally proposed (although not validly published) by W. C. Cheng and S. Y. Chang.